Occupant comfort is a design objective for automobile manufacturers. In particular, vehicle seating systems are a significant focus for improved comfort. Conventional seating systems include reclining assemblies that enable an occupant to adjust the angle of the seat back. Modern reclining systems are often powered, thus making the system easier to use, but more complex to manufacture and implement. Powered reclining systems often include an electric motor, a transmission assembly, an actuator cable connecting the motor to the transmission assembly, and an arm connecting the transmission assembly to the seat back.
A typical transmission assembly includes a gear train for transferring the torque from the actuator cable to the arm. Occasionally, with this type of transmission assembly, the gears may become bound. One such way gears can bind is by activating the motor to drive the transmission and seat arm beyond their mechanical limits, thereby over-rotating the gears. Gears can also bind from the vibrational forces inherent in ordinary vehicle use. In some situations the motor can unbind the gears and drive the transmission in the usual  manner. In others, however, the motor lacks the start-up torque required to unbind the gears and the motor fails. One solution to this problem is to upgrade the recliner motor; however, this solution is costly.